42 U.S.C. § 1862t: Supporting veterans in STEM…

Summary

The Director of the Foundation must use the Foundation’s research and education programs to encourage veterans to study and work in STEM and computer science, and must work with other federal agencies that serve veterans. Within 180 days after February 11, 2020, the Director must give Congress a plan to improve outreach to veterans. The plan must describe current outreach, show how to use existing programs to help veterans enter STEM careers (including teaching), and give ways to track veteran participation and note any obstacles to collecting that data. The National Science Board must include any available data on veterans in science and engineering in its every-two-years indicators report. The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy must set up an interagency working group to raise equity and representation of veterans and military spouses in STEM. The group must make a strategic plan with short- and long-term goals, shared measures of progress, the barriers veterans and spouses face (like lack of formal STEM education, career help, and credit transfers), agency steps to address those barriers, and any issues needing law or rule changes. That plan must be sent to Congress within 1 year after February 11, 2020, progress must be reported in the required annual report, and the group will end 3 years after it starts.

Title 42, §1862t

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Supporting veteran involvement in scientific research and STEM education

The Director shall, through the research and education activities of the Foundation, encourage veterans to study and pursue careers in STEM and computer science, in coordination with other Federal agencies that serve veterans.

(b)Veteran outreach plan

Not later than 180 days after February 11, 2020, the Director shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a plan for how the Foundation can enhance its outreach efforts to veterans. Such plan shall—

(1)report on the Foundation’s existing outreach activities;

(2)identify the best method for the Foundation to leverage existing authorities and programs to facilitate and support veterans in STEM careers and studies, including teaching programs; and

(3)include options for how the Foundation could track veteran participation in research and education programs of the Foundation, and describe any barriers to collecting such information.

(c)National Science Board indicators report (d) to (g) Omitted

The National Science Board shall provide in its biennial report on indicators of the state of science and engineering in the United States any available and relevant data on veterans in science and engineering careers or education programs.

(h)Veterans and military families STEM education interagency working group

(1)In general

The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall establish, or designate, an interagency working group to improve veteran and military spouse equity and representation in STEM fields.

(2)Duties of interagency working group

An interagency working group established under paragraph (1) shall develop and facilitate the implementation by participating agencies of a strategic plan, which shall—

(A)specify and prioritize short- and long-term objectives;

(B)specify the common metrics that will be used by Federal agencies to assess progress toward achieving such objectives;

(C)identify barriers veterans face in reentering the workforce, including a lack of formal STEM education, career guidance, and the process of transferring military credits and skills to college credits;

(D)identify barriers military spouses face in establishing careers in STEM fields;

(E)describe the approaches that each participating agency will take to address administratively the barriers described in subparagraphs (C) and (D); and

(F)identify any barriers that require Federal or State legislative or regulatory changes in order to be addressed.

(3)Report

The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall—

(A)not later than 1 year after February 11, 2020, submit to Congress the strategic plan required under paragraph (2); and

(B)include in the annual report required by section 6621(d) of this title a description of any progress made in carrying out the activities described in paragraph (2) of this subsection.

(4)Sunset

An interagency working group established under paragraph (1) shall terminate on the date that is 3 years after the date that it is established.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section is comprised of section 3 of Pub. L. 116–115. Subsec. (d) of section 3 of Pub. L. 116–115 amended section 1862n–1 of this title. Subsec. (e) of section 3 of Pub. L. 116–115 amended section 1862n–1a of this title. Subsecs. (f) and (g) of section 3 of Pub. L. 116–115 amended section 7404 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. Section was enacted as part of the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act, and not as part of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 which comprises this chapter.

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 117–167 substituted “biennial” for “annual”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Definitions Pub. L. 116–115, § 2, Feb. 11, 2020, 134 Stat. 106, provided that: “In this Act [see

Short Title

of 2020 Amendment note set out under section 1861 of this title]: “(1) Director.—The term ‘Director’ means the Director of the National Science Foundation. “(2) Foundation.—The term ‘Foundation’ means the National Science Foundation. “(3) STEM.—The term ‘STEM’ has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 [Pub. L. 111–358] (42 U.S.C. 6621 note). “(4) Veteran.—The term ‘veteran’ has the meaning given the term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.”

§1862t Supporting Veterans in Stem Education and Computer Science